This past weekend was the first one since the “Before Times” that felt almost normal. Next to normal. We played outside with friends, shared pizza on the back patio with others, and worshipped inside (masked!), with singing and everything. It was my first time preaching for actual real live people in the UCG sanctuary since…
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Our Family Promise committee has been busy providing for families experiencing homelessness in our community. Beginning May 24, 2021, we are providing catered meals each weeknight to multiple families being served by Family Promise of Gainesville, while rotational housing remains postponed due to the pandemic. We are excited that Chef Empowerment’s Underground Kitchen will be…
DetailsJudah Bachmann is graduating high school after a year of dual enrollment and will be attending Florida State University. He plans on double majoring in studio art and political science and hopes to continue learning languages through involvement in clubs at FSU. Tesslyn Dahl graduated from Gainesville High School in the Cambridge Program. She will…
DetailsDid you know that a support group for caregivers of persons living with dementia was originally formed more than 13 years ago by three of our own church members? Lynda Everitt, Fonda Eyler, and Claudia Barrett were the visionary co-founders who created the Alzheimer’s small group with the goal of allowing everyone touched by dementia…
DetailsCIA Committee continues our Food First Sunday donations of non-perishable food items this summer! Bring your donations to church on Sunday, June 6. Also CIA is inviting all UCG families to consider making an additional donation to Gainesville Community Ministries (GCM) during the month of June. A monetary donation will help GCM purchase bulk items…
DetailsGreat news! According to the most recent Treasurer’s report, income came in at 44% our budgeted amount, thanks largely to a number of members choosing to complete their full pledge up front. This generosity is much appreciated, as is the dedication of those who will continue to pay their pledges over the year. Operating expenses…
DetailsDuring June, the UCG Sunday Seminar Committee is scheduled to host two Sunday Seminars: Each will be live on Zoom at 11:30am. Meeting ID: 829 6457 0385, Passcode: 1624 Sunday June 6: “Enhancing Your Family Genealogy,” with Dr. Fletcher Crowe, a retired historian who has written a book on family genealogy – If you’ve ever thought about…
DetailsJune 28, is Ray Meeks’ 68 birthday. He developed chest pains soon after he was moved to Madison Correctional Institution in December, his third post death row facility. After waiting over a month, he underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery at Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville. As soon as he returned to Madison, he developed severe pains…
DetailsHello Families! Slowly but surely things are seeming more like our old normal on our playgrounds on Sundays. This week we celebrate moving to the yellow zone. If you are thinking of joining us please read on…. When we have childcare, it will be provided from fifteen minutes before the service to five minutes after…
DetailsOur church-year theme: Return, Reunite, Reimagine As I was pondering the congregation’s theme for the upcoming church year, our community had finally begun to emerge from our COVID-induced cocoons and we had only just started to gather for in-person worship together in the courtyard. Our UCG family had spent a year physically distanced and many…
DetailsWe are coming to the end of 10 and a half years of Food for Kids. It has been challenging in so many ways but with your loving support and generosity we have been about feed children weekly in 108 families including digital students. A team of over 20 volunteers were able to fill 164…
DetailsAs Andy prepares for his upcoming sabbatical this fall, the timing is good to review what a clergy sabbatical is, and how they work at UCG. The word “sabbatical” is derived from the Greek work “sabatikos”, which means “of the Sabbath”, referring to the day of rest which occurs every seventh day. Interestingly, UCG’s personnel…
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